Pant-type wearable article

ABSTRACT

A wearable article includes a front and back elastic belts, a crotch region, a waist opening, and leg openings. Each elastic belt is a laminate having an inner sheet, an outer sheet, and an elastic member. Elastic adhesive bonding continuously bonds the elastic member for at least about 10 mm in the direction of stretch adjacent the side edges of the belts. A discrete patterned adhesive bonding is applied to at least one of the inner and outer sheets to intermittently bond the inner and outer sheets. The discrete patterned adhesive bonding extends substantially along the transverse direction between the elastic adhesive bonding, and substantially along the longitudinal direction between the distal and proximal edges of the elastic belts. The same adhesive agent provides the elastic adhesive and discrete patterned adhesive bonding. Heat bonds form side seams, and the remainder of the laminate is free of heat bonds.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent Ser. No. 16/791,226,filed on Feb. 14, 2020, which claims priority to Chinese PatentApplication No. PCT/CN2020/073509, filed on Jan. 21, 2020, and toChinese Patent Application No. PCT/CN2019/075100, filed on Feb. 14,2019, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to pant-type wearable articles having anelastic belt with improved regularity of gathers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Infants and other incontinent individuals wear absorbent articles suchas diapers to receive and contain urine and other body exudates. Pull-onabsorbent articles, or pant-type absorbent articles, are those which aredonned by inserting the wearer's legs into the leg openings and slidingthe article up into position about the lower torso. Pant-type absorbentarticles have become popular for use on children who are able to walkand often who are toilet training, as well as for younger children whobecome more active in movement such that application of taped-typeabsorbent articles tends to be more difficult, and also for youngerbabies requiring a soft fit around the waist opening and leg openings.

Pant-type articles may take various structures wherein the circumferenceof the waist opening and vicinity thereof is made elastic enough tofacilitate the wearer or the caregiver to expand the article and insertthe wearer's legs into the leg openings for wearing the article. Theregion of the waist circumference and vicinity thereof is often referredto as the elastic belt. One type of structure for the pant-type articleis the belt-type pant having a central chassis to cover the crotchregion of the wearer and a separate elastic belt defining the waistopening and leg opening, such as described in PCT Publication WO2006/17718A. Another type of structure for the pant-type article is theuni-body pant configured such that the outer cover of the articlecompletely covers the entirety of the garment-facing surface of thearticle, wherein the portion configured to stretch about the torso isconsidered the elastic belt region.

Whatever the structure of the pant-type article may be, pant-typearticles provide only a very small range of size adjustment or bodyconfiguration adjustment based on the structural limitations of thearticle. As such, pant-type articles are typically so configured toaccommodate size and configuration ranges by providing the elastic beltregion very stretchable and comfortable to wear, yet with reliable fitsuch that sufficient protection against sagging and leakage may beprovided. Further, the elastic belt region may be the portion which ismost touched and observed by the wearer or the caregiver upon use, andthus its properties most associated with the quality of the article. Byquality, what may be desired is an undergarment-like appearance providedby aesthetically pleasing regularity of gathers.

Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a wearable article providingimproved stretchability for ease of application, improved fit forpreventing sagging, improved comfort and softness, and improvedbreathability for skin health. There is also a need for a wearablearticle having improved regularity of gathers which intuitivelycommunicates the functional benefits described above. There is also aneed for providing such a wearable article which can be economicallymade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a wearable article continuous in alongitudinal direction and a transverse direction comprising a frontelastic belt, a back elastic belt, a crotch region, a waist opening, anda pair of leg openings; the crotch region extending longitudinallybetween the front elastic belt and the back elastic belt; wherein eachof the front and back elastic belt is a laminate comprising an innersheet, an outer sheet, and an elastic member running in the transversedirection, wherein the laminate further comprising an elastic adhesivebonding which continuously bonds the elastic member for at least about10 mm in the direction of stretch in a region adjacent the side edges ofthe front and back elastic belts, and a discrete patterned adhesivebonding applied to at least one of the inner sheet and the outer sheetwith intervals in the transverse direction and the longitudinaldirection to intermittently bond the inner sheet and the outer sheet,wherein the discrete patterned adhesive bonding at least extendssubstantially along the transverse direction between the elasticadhesive bonding, and substantially along the longitudinal directionbetween a distal edge and a proximal edge of the front and back elasticbelts, wherein the elastic adhesive bonding and the discrete patternedadhesive bonding are provided by a single adhesive agent; wherein thelaminate is bonded by heat at the side edges to form side seams, theside seams existing no further than about 20 mm from the side edges, andthe remainder of the laminate is free of heat bonds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as formingthe present invention, it is believed that the invention will be betterunderstood from the following description which is taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings and which like designations are used todesignate substantially identical elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a wearable article ofthe present invention.

FIG. 1B is a schematic view of one embodiment of a wearable article ofthe present invention in a contracted state showing the front side ofthe article.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of one embodiment of a wearable articleof the present invention with the seams unjoined and in a flatuncontracted condition showing the garment facing surface.

FIG. 3A is a schematic plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 showing theelastic member positioning, elastic adhesive bondings and discretepatterned adhesive bondings.

FIG. 3B is an expanded schematic plan view of a section of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a schematic cross section view of FIG. 3B taken along sectionline 4-4 of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4B is a schematic cross section view of FIG. 4A in a contractedstate.

FIG. 5A is a schematic plan view of an elastic belt of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5B is a plan view of an elastic belt of the present invention in astretched state.

FIG. 5C is a plan view of an elastic belt of FIG. 5B in a contractedstate.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an example of a hanger-type sample holdingfixture according to the “Whole Article Force Measurement”.

FIGS. 7A-7C are images of Example 1 in its original and processed formsrelated to the “Directional Dispersion Value” measurements.

DEFINITIONS

As used herein, the following terms shall have the meaning specifiedthereafter:

“Wearable article” refers to articles of wear which may be in the formof pants, taped diapers, incontinent briefs, feminine hygiene garments,and the like. The “wearable article” may be so configured to also absorband contain various exudates such as urine, feces, and menses dischargedfrom the body. The “wearable article” may serve as an outer coveradaptable to be joined with a separable disposable absorbent insert forproviding absorbent and containment function, such as those disclosed inPCT publication WO 2011/087503A.

“Pant” refers to disposable absorbent articles having a pre-formed waistand leg openings. A pant may be donned by inserting a wearer's legs intothe leg openings and sliding the pant into position about the wearer'slower torso. Pants are also commonly referred to as “closed diapers”,“prefastened diapers”, “pull-on diapers”, “training pants” and“diaper-pants”.

“Longitudinal” refers to a direction running substantially perpendicularfrom a waist edge to an opposing waist edge of the article and generallyparallel to the maximum linear dimension of the article.

“Transverse” refers to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinaldirection.

“Proximal” and “distal” refer respectively to the position closer orfarther relative to the longitudinal center of the article.

“Body-facing” and “garment-facing” refer respectively to the relativelocation of an element or a surface of an element or group of elements.“Body-facing” implies the element or surface is nearer to the wearerduring wear than some other element or surface. “Garment-facing” impliesthe element or surface is more remote from the wearer during wear thansome other element or surface (i.e., element or surface is proximate tothe wearer's garments that may be worn over the disposable absorbentarticle).

“Disposed” refers to an element being located in a particular place orposition.

“Joined” refers to configurations whereby an element is directly securedto another element by affixing the element directly to the other elementand to configurations whereby an element is indirectly secured toanother element by affixing the element to intermediate member(s) whichin turn are affixed to the other element.

“Film” refers to a sheet-like material wherein the length and width ofthe material far exceed the thickness of the material. Typically, filmshave a thickness of about 0.5 mm or less.

“Water-permeable” and “water-impermeable” refer to the penetrability ofmaterials in the context of the intended usage of disposable absorbentarticles. Specifically, the term “water-permeable” refers to a layer ora layered structure having pores, openings, and/or interconnected voidspaces that permit liquid water, urine, or synthetic urine to passthrough its thickness in the absence of a forcing pressure. Conversely,the term “water-impermeable” refers to a layer or a layered structurethrough the thickness of which liquid water, urine, or synthetic urinecannot pass in the absence of a forcing pressure (aside from naturalforces such as gravity). A layer or a layered structure that iswater-impermeable according to this definition may be permeable to watervapor, i.e., may be “vapor-permeable”.

“Extendibility” and “extensible” mean that the width or length of thecomponent in a relaxed state can be extended or increased.

“Elasticated” and “elasticized” mean that a component comprises at leasta portion made of elastic material.

“Elongatable material”, “extensible material”, or “stretchable material”are used interchangeably and refer to a material that, upon applicationof a biasing force, can stretch to an elongated length of at least about110% of its relaxed, original length (i.e. can stretch to 10 percentmore than its original length), without rupture or breakage, and uponrelease of the applied force, shows little recovery, less than about 20%of its elongation without complete rupture or breakage as measured byEDANA method 20.2-89. In the event such an elongatable material recoversat least 40% of its elongation upon release of the applied force, theelongatable material will be considered to be “elastic” or“elastomeric.” For example, an elastic material that has an initiallength of 100 mm can extend at least to 150 mm, and upon removal of theforce retracts to a length of at least 130 mm (i.e., exhibiting a 40%recovery). In the event the material recovers less than 40% of itselongation upon release of the applied force, the elongatable materialwill be considered to be “substantially non-elastic” or “substantiallynon-elastomeric”. For example, an elongatable material that has aninitial length of 100 mm can extend at least to 150 mm, and upon removalof the force retracts to a length of at least 145mm (i.e., exhibiting a10% recovery).

“Dimension”, “Length”, “Width”, “Pitch”, “Diameter”, “Aspect Ratio”,“Angle”, and “Area” of the article are all measured in a state whereinthe article is extended to the Full Stretch Circumference W1 accordingto the “Whole Article Force Measurement” herein, and utilizing a ruleror a loupe, unless specified otherwise.

“Artwork” refers to a visual presentation to the naked eye, which isprovided by printing or otherwise, and having a color. Printing includesvarious methods and apparatus well known to those skilled in the artsuch as lithographic, screen printing, flexographic, and gravure ink jetprinting techniques.

“Color” or “Colored” as referred to herein includes any primary colorexcept color white, i.e., black, red, blue, violet, orange, yellow,green, and indigo as well as any declination thereof or mixture thereof.The color white is defined as those colors having a L* value of at least94, an a* value equal to 0±2, and a b* value equal to 0±2 according tothe CIE L* a* b* color system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a wearable article 20 of the presentinvention, FIG. 1B is a schematic view of a wearable article of thepresent invention in a contracted state showing the front side, and FIG.2 is a schematic plan view of a wearable article with the seams unjoinedand in its flat uncontracted condition showing the garment-facingsurface. The wearable article 20 has a longitudinal centerline LX whichalso serves as the longitudinal axis, and a transverse centerline TXwhich also serves as the transverse axis. The wearable article 20 has abody facing surface, a garment facing surface, a front elastic belt 84,a back elastic belt 86, a crotch region 30, and side seams 32 which jointhe front elastic belt 84 and the back elastic belt 86, to form two legopenings and a waist opening.

The wearable article 20 may be a belt-type pant as in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and2 comprising a central chassis 38 to cover the crotch region 30 of thewearer, a front elastic belt 84 and a back elastic belt 86 (hereinaftermay be referred to as “front and back elastic belts”), the front andback elastic belts 84, 86 forming a discrete ring-like elastic belt 40extending transversely defining the waist opening. For the belt-typepant, the discrete ring-like elastic belt 40 may also be referred to asthe elastic belt 40. For the belt-type pant as in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2 ,the front and back elastic belts 84, 86 and the central chassis 38jointly define the leg openings. For the belt-type pant, the frontelastic belt 84 is the front region 26, and the back elastic belt 86 isthe back region 28, and the remainder is the crotch region 30. While notshown, the wearable article 20 may be a uni-body type pant configuredsuch that the outer cover of the central chassis 38 and the elastic belt40 are common. For the uni-body type pant, the portion extending in thetransverse direction between the side seams 32, respectively, areconsidered the front region 26 and the back region 28, and the remainderis the crotch region 30. For the uni-body type pant, the front region 26is considered the front elastic belt 84, and the back region 28 isconsidered the back elastic belt 86.

The central chassis 38 may comprise a topsheet, a backsheet and anabsorbent core 62 disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, andfurther an outer cover layer 42 for covering the garment-facing side ofthe backsheet. The topsheet may be a water permeable substrate. Thebacksheet may be a water impermeable film. The outer cover layer 42 maybe a nonwoven sheet. The central chassis 38 may contain an absorbentcore 62 for absorbing and containing body exudates disposed on thecentral chassis 38, and an absorbent material non-existing region 61surrounding the periphery of the absorbent core 62. The absorbentmaterial non-existing region 61 may be made of the topsheet and/or thebacksheet and/or the outer cover layer 42 and/or other parts configuringthe central chassis 38. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the centralchassis 38 has a generally rectangular shape, left and rightlongitudinally extending side edges 48 and front and back transverselyextending end edges 50. The absorbent core 62 may exist through theentire longitudinal dimension of the crotch region and extending atleast partly in the front region 26; or at least partly in both thefront and back regions 26, 28. The central chassis 38 may have a frontwaist panel 52 positioned in the front region 26 of the absorbentarticle 20, a back waist panel 54 positioned in the back region 28, anda crotch panel 56 between the front and back waist panels 52, 54 in thecrotch region 30. The center of the front elastic belt 84 is joined to afront waist panel 52 of the central chassis 38, the center of the backelastic belt 86 is joined to a back waist panel 54 of the centralchassis 38, the front and back elastic belts 84, 86 each having a leftside panel and a right side panel 82 where the central chassis 38 doesnot overlap. The central chassis has a crotch panel 56 positionedbetween the front waist panel 52 and the back waist panel 54.

The absorbent core 62 may include an absorbent layer and an acquisitionlayer. The absorbent layer is the region wherein absorbent materialshaving a high retention capacity, such as superabsorbent polymers, arepresent. The absorbent layer may be substantially cellulose free.Superabsorbent polymers of the absorbent layer may be disposed betweenfirst and second layers of material immobilized by a fibrous layer ofthermoplastic adhesive material. The first and second layers ofmaterials may be nonwoven fibrous webs including synthetic fibers, suchas mono-constituent fibers of PE, PET and PP, multiconstituent fiberssuch as side by side, core/sheath or island in the sea type fibers. Suchsynthetic fibers may be formed via a spunbonding process or ameltblowing process. The acquisition layer facilitates the acquisitionand the distribution of body exudates and may be placed between thetopsheet and the absorbent layer. The acquisition layer may includecellulosic fibers.

The absorbent layers may be disposed in plurality in the absorbent core62. Some portions of the absorbent layers may be configured to havesubstantially no absorbent material to form a channel or a plurality ofchannels. Channels may be useful for allowing the absorbent core 62 tobend upon swelling with fluids, such that the absorbent article conformsto the wearer's body after swelling and prevent sagging of the article.The channels may also be formed in the acquisition layer, and may beconfigured to at least partly match the channels of the absorbent layerin the thickness direction.

The elastic belt 40 of the article of the present invention acts todynamically create fitment forces and to distribute the forcesdynamically generated during wear. The front and back elastic belts 84,86 may be joined with each other only at the side edges 89 to form sideseams 32, a waist opening and two leg openings. Each leg opening may beprovided with elasticity around the perimeter of the leg opening. Theelasticity around the leg opening may be provided by the combination ofelasticity from the front belt 84, the back belt 86, and the centralchassis 38.

The longitudinal length of the backsheet and the outer cover layer 42may be the same, or may be varied. For example, the outer cover layer 42may have a shorter length compared to that of the backsheet, such thatthe outer cover layer 42 is devoid where the central chassis 38 overlapsthe elastic belt 40. By such configuration, the elastic belt may havebetter breathability. Further, such configuration may provide costsaving. The transverse width of the backsheet and the outer cover layer42 may be the same, or may be varied. For example, the backsheet mayhave a shorter transverse width compared to that of the outer coverlayer 42. By such configuration, the longitudinal side edges 48 of thecrotch panel 56, which make part of the leg openings, may have betterbreathability. Further, such configuration may provide cost saving.

The front elastic belt 84 and back elastic belt 86 are configured toimpart elasticity to the belt 40. Referring to FIGS. 1B and 2 , thefront belt 84 and the back belt 86 may each comprise a laminate, thelaminate comprising a plurality of elastic members 96 running in thetransverse direction, an inner sheet 94, an outer sheet 92, and an outersheet fold over (not shown) wherein the outer sheet fold over is anextension of the outer sheet material formed by folding the outer sheetmaterial at the distal edge 88 of the front and back belts; wherein thebelt elastic members 96 are sandwiched between two of these sheets. Thefront elastic belt 84 and the back elastic belt 86 may each be made onlyby elastic members 96, the inner sheet 94, the outer sheet 92, and theouter sheet fold over. The belt elastic members 96 may extend in thetransverse direction to provide a ring like elastic belt 40 when thefront elastic belt 84 and the back elastic belt 86 are joined. At leastsome of the elastic members 96 extend in the transverse directionsubstantially parallel to each other. All of the elastic members 96 mayextend in the transverse direction substantially parallel to each other.Such an article may be economically made. The front and back elasticbelt 84, 86 each may have transversely continuous proximal and distaledges, the proximal edge 90 being located closer than the distal edge 88relative to the longitudinal center of the article. At least about 10%,or at least from about 15% to not more than about 70%, of the front andback elastic belts from the waist opening in the longitudinal directionmay be a laminate in active elasticity along the entire transversedimension LW of the front and back elastic belts 84, 86. These regionsof the front and back elastic belts 84, 86 in active elasticity aredefined as the Upper Gather Region 220. Referring to FIGS. 1B and 2 ,the front and back elastic belts 84, 86 may be treated such that certainregions are removed of its elastic activity to form a non-elastic region221. For each front and back elastic belt 84, 86, the region overlappingthe front and/or back waist panel 52, 54 of the central chassis 38 maybe removed of its elastic activity and defining the non-elastic region221.

The elastic belt region 40 may be closely associated with the functionand quality of the article. Thus, materials for forming the elastic beltregion 40, as well as the gathering profile of the elastic belt region,are carefully selected by the manufacturer for providing the desirablesfor the article. An undergarment kind of appearance and aestheticallypleasing regularity of gathering may be associated with high quality.Pleasant tactile sense such as flexibility and cushiony touch may alsoenhance perception of high quality. Stretchability for ease ofapplication, fit for preventing sagging, comfort and softness, as wellas breathability for skin health, may be associated with high function.Highly aesthetically pleasing gathers which intuitively communicate thefunctional benefits described above provide the favorable entire usageexperience of the article by the user. The user may be the wearer or thecaregiver.

The gathers of the present invention are continuous in the longitudinaldirection, however, the direction of continuity may or may notcompletely match the longitudinal axis. The direction of gather is thedirection in which the individual gathers are continuous, wherein theindividual gathers are lined up with mountains and valleys repeating inthe transverse direction. The Upper Gather Region 220 of the presentinvention may have a Directional Dispersion Value of no more than about11 points, or no more than about 9 points, according to DirectionalDispersion Value Test Method herein. By Directional Dispersion Value,what is meant is the deviation from the direction of gather for eachgathering, as analyzed by image analysis. The lower the DirectionalDispersion Value, the less deviation of individual gathers from thedirection of gather, and thus provides perception of aestheticallypleasing regularity.

The laminate having improved regularity of gathering of the presentinvention may be made by any method available in the art, andparticularly by selecting a lofty nonwoven material of relatively highbasis weight for the outer sheet 92, as well as by bonding the elasticmembers 96 in an appropriate denier, longitudinal pitch, and force; toone or both of the inner sheet 94 and the outer sheet 92. The elasticmember 96 may be intermittently bonded in the direction of stretch. Thelaminate of the present invention may be suitably provided by themethods below.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the laminate may be made by bonding the elasticmembers 96 to at least one of the inner sheet 94 and the outer sheet 92,via a combination of an elastic adhesive bonding 230 and a discretepatterned adhesive bonding 234. In FIG. 3A, the front elastic belt 84 isshown with the elastic members 96 and elastic adhesive bonding 230expressed in solid lines. In FIG. 3A, the discrete patterned adhesivebonding 234 is only expressed in the right side of the front elasticbelt 84, and the side seams 32 are shown in an unjoined state.

What is meant by elastic adhesive bonding 230 herein is a bonding thatbonds the elastic member 96 along the side edges 89 of the front andback elastic belts 84, 86 by adhesive. The elastic adhesive bonding 230may be continuously applied to each elastic member 96 for a length of atleast about 10 mm, or from about 10 mm to about 60 mm in the directionof stretch adjacent the side edges 89 of the front and back elasticbelts 84, 86, including the length planned for side seaming. The elasticadhesive bonding 230 is to provide relatively strong bonding for theelastic member 96 and thus securely anchor the elastic member 96 withinthe laminate. The anchoring may be assisted by the side seaming. Acertain percentage, or a greater percentage, of the dimension of theelastic adhesive bonding 230 along the side edges 89 may be seamed. Theside seams 32 may be formed so that they exist no distant than about 20mm, or about 15 mm, or about 10 mm, from the side edges. The side seamsmay be formed by heat bonding. Except for the side seams, the laminatemay be free of heat bonds. By heat bond, what is meant is a bondprovided by heat energy enough to deform the shape of the fibers of atleast 2 nonwoven substrates. Heat bonds may be identified by the nakedeye by observing the deformation from both sides of the laminate.Namely, heat bonds have the exact mirror image deformation with fibersmelted, including the melted fibers forming a hole. In contrast, elasticadhesive bondings do not form deformation on both sides of the laminate.Without being bound by theory, it is believed that laminates havingminimum heat bonds may avoid various disadvantages required for creatingheat bonds. First, in order to utilize heat bonds for attaching a wideregion of the substrates forming the laminate, the choice of substratecombination may be restricted, as such combination requires formingsuitable heat bonds. Second, heat bonds may provide the melted anddeformed regions to be stiffer and thus disturb the otherwise softfeeling provided by the substrates and gathers made by the substrates.Third, such deformed regions provided by heat bonds may provide theoverall laminate to have reduced strength, which reduced strength maylead to higher risk of rupture when stretched.

The elastic adhesive bonding may also be utilized for an effectiveprocess of deactivating a limited transverse dimension of the elasticmember 96. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3A, the elastic member 96 may bedeactivated in portions overlapping the absorbent core 62. In additionto the side edge regions, the elastic adhesive bonding 230T may beprovided on both sides of the certain transverse dimension of theelastic member 96 which is planned to be deactivated, wherein theportion of the elastic member between the elastic adhesive bondings 230Tare severed and deactivated. The deactivated portions of the elasticmember is not shown in the Figures. Such deactivation may be referred toherein as tummy cut, and the deactivated region may match thenon-elastic region 221.

What is meant by discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 herein is abonding applied to at least one of the inner sheet 94 and the outersheet 92 with intervals in the transverse direction and the longitudinaldirection for intermittently bonding the inner sheet 94 and the outersheet 92. The discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 may also bond theelastic member 96 to at least one of the inner sheet 94 and the outersheet 92. The discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 may only beprovided to the outer sheet 92. The discrete patterned adhesive bonding234 may only be provided to the inner sheet 94. Referring to FIG. 3A,discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 may be provided in a pattern forthe entire area of the laminate. By providing discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234 in a pattern for the entire area of the laminate,the discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 may serve as a bonding forthe inner and outer sheets 92, 94 in regions where the elastic members96 are severed. Discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 may be providedin regions adjacent the side edges 89 and thus overlapping the regionswhere the elastic adhesive bondings 230 are provided. Alternatively,discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 may be provided only in regionswhere the elastic adhesive bondings 230 are not provided. Discretepatterned adhesive bonding 234 may be provided at least in regions wherethe elastic member 96 is in active elasticity, wherein the elasticadhesive bondings 230 are devoid.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 isobserved in the thickness direction of the laminate along a singleelastic member 96 in an extended state in the direction of stretch,wherein FIG. 4A only expresses the outer sheet 92, discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234, and the elastic member 96, wherein the discretepatterned adhesive bonding 234 is provided on the outer sheet 92. Thediscrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 may have a transverse dimensionVG2 and provided as a continuous pattern aligned in the longitudinaldirection, each longitudinal pattern of discrete patterned adhesivebonding 234 spaced apart from each other with a transverse pitch VG1,wherein VG1 may be from about 2 mm to about 15 mm, and VG2 may be fromabout 0.2 mm to about 7 mm. Referring to FIG. 3B, the discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234 may be an array of discrete bondings aligned in thelongitudinal direction. Each discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 mayhave a longitudinal dimension of from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm, and alongitudinal spacing VG3 of no greater than about 3 mm, or no greaterthan about 2 mm, or no greater than about 1 mm. By providing thediscrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 in an array of discretebondings, the overall area of bonding may be decreased. This isadvantageous for maintaining the laminate in a soft tactile sense, inthat bonding may make the inner and outer sheet material 92, 94 stiffer.Further, this may save material for the bonding. Each discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234 may be provided in appropriate longitudinal pitchsuch that there is at least one discrete bonding that bonds each elasticmember 96, however, this is not essential. Rather, it is essential thatthere is at least one discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 existingin each longitudinal spacing of the elastic members 96, such that theneighboring elastic members 96 do not contact each other. Because theelastic adhesive bonding 230 provides secure bonding of the elasticmember 96 along the side seams, as well as the outer periphery of thenon-elastic region 221, so long as there is at least one discretepatterned adhesive bonding 234 existing in each longitudinal spacing ofelastic members 96, this prevents the elastic member 96 from moving awayfrom its intended position. For an entire front elastic belt 84 or anentire back elastic belt 86 there may be no elastic member 96 bonded tothe inner sheet 94 or the outer sheet 92 by a discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234. For an entire front elastic belt 84 or an entireback elastic belt 86, at least one to about 50% of the elastic members96 may be bonded to the inner sheet 94 or the outer sheet 92 by thediscrete patterned adhesive bonding 234. For an individual elasticmember 96 along its activated length, some portions may be bonded by thediscrete patterned adhesive bonding 234, while some portions may be leftunbonded by the discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234.

When focusing on one elastic member 96, the discrete patterned adhesivebonding 234 may provide intermittent bonding between the elastic member96 and the inner sheet 94, or between the elastic member 96 and theouter sheet 92. This is in contrast with the elastic adhesive bonding230 which is provided continuously along a certain length of the elasticmember 96 in the direction of stretch. As such, in the region where theelastic member 96 is only intermittently bonded to one of the innersheet 94 and the outer sheet 92, the portion of the elastic member 96between the discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 in the transversedirection is unattached to any other part of the laminate. In FIG. 4A,the elastic member 96 is bonded to the outer sheet 92. Referring to FIG.4B, when the elastic member 96 is allowed to contract, this causes theunattached portion of the outer sheet 92 to fold away from the elasticmember 96 and form gathers. As such, compared to areas where the elasticadhesive bonding 230 is applied, the outer sheet 92 has less restrictionin creating gathers.

Without being bound by theory, it is believed that by having lessrestriction for the inner sheet 94 and outer sheet 92 against theelastic members 96, this contributes in creating gathers of improvedregularity, in that a significant amount of the inner and outer sheetmaterials 92, 94 existing between the discrete patterned adhesivebondings 234 are available for creating gathers continuous in thelongitudinal direction. Without being bound by theory, it is alsobelieved that, by having less restriction for the inner and outer sheetmaterials 92, 94 against the elastic members 96, this allows improvedstretchability of the elastic members 96, which may provide ease ofapplication. Compared to elastic belts made only by elastic adhesivebonding 230 wherein all of the elastic members 96 are continuouslybonded, the elastic belt 40 of the present invention may have a lowerStretch Circumference Force, according to the Whole Article ForceMeasurement Method herein. What is meant by Stretch Circumference Forceis the loading force at a certain stretch level, which is believed tosimulate initial stretch experience felt by the wearer or caregiver wheninserting hands and stretch opening the article. Further, despite suchrelatively low Stretch Circumference Force, the elastic belt 40 of thepresent invention may maintain a suitable Fit Circumference Force,according to the Whole Article Force Measurement Method herein. What ismeant by Fit Circumference Force is the unloading force at a certainstretch level, which is believed to simulate the force felt by thewearer while wearing the article. Without being bound by theory, it isalso believed that, by having less restriction for the inner and outersheet materials 92, 94 against the elastic members 96, this improves thebreathability of the overall laminate, which may enhance skin health.Without being bound by theory, it is also believed that discretepatterned adhesive bonding 234 provides a configuration wherein agreater percentage of the inner and outer sheet materials 92, 94 areavailable for forming the outer surfaces of the laminate when theelastic belt 40 is contracted, while the elastic members 96 remainpositioned inside the thickness of the laminate. As such, the laminateis provided with improved loft and thickness, thus imparting improvedcomfort and softness when worn. Further, without being bound by theory,in that there is a great percentage of the inner and outer sheetmaterials 92, 94 available for forming the outer surfaces of thelaminate in high regularity when the elastic belt 40 is contracted, thisprovides the body facing surface of the elastic belt 40 to have higherstiffness in the longitudinal direction, thus contributing in improvedfit for preventing sagging. Still further, in that the elastic membersare less visible when the elastic belt 40 is contracted, this furtherenhances the aesthetically pleasing regularity of gathers.

In order to make available for gathering a significant amount of theinner and outer sheet materials 92, 94 between the discrete patternedadhesive bondings 234 in the transverse direction, VG1 may be from about2 times to about 20 times, or from about 3.5 times to about 10 times ofVG2. The elastic adhesive bonding 230 and the discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234 may be provided by the same hot melt adhesive.

Referring to FIG. 2 , for the belt-type pant, the proximal edges 90 ofthe front and back belt 84, 86 may be provided with an end seal in orderto keep the inner and outer sheets 92, 94 closed at the proximal edges90 and thus prevent elastic members 96 from being accessible. Suchunaccessibility of elastic members 96 may be particularly advantageouswhen the article is for a young wearer. Alternatively or additionally,the elastic member 96 which is positioned closest to the proximal edge90 may be provided with an elastic adhesive bonding 230 along thetransverse dimension of the elastic member 96 in portions of activeelasticity.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the elastic member 96 may be made by a pluralityof elastic strands 96 running parallel to each other in the transversedirection, wherein the laminate has a region wherein the elastic strands96 have a longitudinal pitch of from about 3 mm to about 18 mm, or fromabout 3 mm to about 12 mm, or from about 3 mm to about 7 mm. At leastsome of the Upper Gather Region 220 may have the elastic strands 96disposed in a longitudinal pitch of from about 3 mm to about 7 mm.Without being bound by theory, it is believed that such longitudinalpitch of the elastic strands 96, combined with the transverse pitch ofthe discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 as described above,contributes in creating gathers of improved regularity by providing theappropriate longitudinal continuity of material provided by thestiffness of the inner and outer sheet materials 92, 94. At least aportion of the Upper Gather Region 220 may have the elastic strands 96disposed in a constant longitudinal pitch, the constant pitch being fromabout 3 mm to about 18 mm, or from about 3 mm to about 12 mm, or fromabout 3 mm to about 7 mm, with a deviation of no more than about 1.5 mm.Without being bound by theory, it is believed that such constant pitchof the elastic strands 96 contributes in creating gathers of improvedregularity and continuity.

The front and back elastic belts 84, 86 may be made by running thecontinuous inner and outer sheet materials as well as the continuouselastic strands along the transverse axis of the article, and bondingthem via the elastic adhesive bondings 230 and discrete patternedadhesive bondings 234. During manufacture, the continuous inner andouter sheet materials and continuous elastic strands may be transferredin the machine direction, wherein the machine direction of manufacturematches the transverse axis TX of the article. In such manufacturingprocess, the discrete patterned adhesive bondings 234 are provideddiscrete and aligned in the cross machine direction and intermittentlyspaced apart by a pitch of VG1 in the machine direction of manufacture.The longitudinal pattern of discrete patterned adhesive bondings 234 maymatch the cross machine direction of manufacture, namely thelongitudinal axis LX of the article, or may be slightly titled forbetter control of the process, particularly when the discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234 is provided by applying bonding on a rotatingroller. The discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 may be tilted withan angle from the cross machine direction of manufacture, namely thelongitudinal axis LX of the article, by from about 0.1 to about 30degrees in either clock-wise or counterclock-wise direction, or fromabout 0.1 to about 15 degrees in either clock-wise or counterclock-wisedirection.

The tensile stress (N/m) of the entirety of the front and back elasticbelts 84, 86, respectively, may be profiled in order to provide thefunctional benefits of the present invention, such as ease of stretchand application, while also maintaining certain force during wear, toprevent the article from sagging after loading. When the elasticity ofthe front and back elastic belts 84, 86 are provided by a plurality ofelastic members 96 running in the transverse direction, the tensilestress may be adjusted by one or more of the following methods; 1)elongation rate of the elastic member 96; 2) density (dtex) of theelastic member 96; 3) longitudinal pitch of multiple elastic members 96;and 4) effective length of elasticity of the elastic member 96 in thetransverse direction. By elongation, “0% elongation” is meant theoriginal length of the elastic member. When a portion of an elasticmember 96 is removed of its elasticity, the remainder of the intactelastic member capable of imparting elasticity is defined as the“effective length of elasticity of an elastic member”.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the front and back elastic belts 26, 28 may eachbe divided into 4 zones spanning in the transverse direction and definedof its position from the distal edge 88 to the proximal edge 90 relativeto the percentage of the seam length LS. In the example of FIG. 2 , theentirety of the length of the belt side edge 89 of the front region 26is the front belt 84, and is seamed with a certain length of the beltside edge 89 of the back region 28 which is the back belt 86 to define aseam length LS. When seam length LS is considered 0% at the distal edge88 and 100% at the proximal edge 90 of the side seam 32, the zones aredefined as such: 0-25% is the waist zone 102, 25-50% is the distal tummyzone 104, 50-85% is the proximal tummy zone 106, and 85-100% is the legzone 108. When there is an elastic member disposed at 25% from thedistal edge 88, such elastic member is considered to be included in thewaist zone 102. When there is an elastic member disposed at 50% from thedistal edge 88, or 85% from the distal edge 88, such elastic member isconsidered to be included in the proximal tummy zone 106.

In the article of the present invention, the tensile stress of the frontproximal tummy zone 106 may be provided higher than the tensile stressof any of the front waist zone 102, the front distal tummy zone 104, orthe front leg zone 108. The tensile stress of the front proximal tummyzone 106 may be higher than the tensile stress of any other zone, eitherin the front or the back. The tensile stress of the back distal tummyzone 104 may be provided higher than any of the tensile stress of theback waist zone 102, the back proximal tummy zone 106, or the back legzone 108. When comparing the 4 zones each of the front belt and the backbelt, the tensile stress may be provided greatest in the order of: thefront proximal tummy zone 106, followed by the back distal tummy zone104. Without being bound by theory, such profiling of the tensile stressper zone is believed to provide the article of the present inventionwith a shaped elastic belt 40 that conforms well to a human body,particularly to a lower torso of a child of less than 36 months of age,and therefore provide good fit and comfort to the wearer, withoutcompromise of sagging prevention or leakage prevention. Namely, thefront proximal tummy zone 106 is subject to high tensile stress suchthat the article may be anchored against the wearer's trochanter, whileleaving more area for the back proximal tummy zone 106 to accommodatethe wearer's buttock. As long as the article is anchored securely at thetrochanter, the Upper Gather Region 220 may be provided in relativelylower tensile stress. Without being bound by theory, it is believed thatsuch relatively lower tensile stress contributes in providing the UpperGather Region 220 with improved regularity of gathering, as well as softfit.

For the belt-type pant, the longitudinal length LB of the back elasticbelt 86 and the longitudinal length LF of the front elastic belt 84 maybe provided the same, or the back elastic belt 86 may have a greaterlongitudinal length LB as in FIG. 2 . Referring to FIGS. 1B and 2 , whenthe wearable article is assembled to form the waist opening and the legopenings, the wearable article 20 is folded along the transversecenterline TX such that the front distal edge 88 is aligned with theback distal edge 88. The front side edge 89 is also aligned with aportion of the back side edge 89. Then the front belt 84 and the backbelt 86 are joined at the front and back side edges 89 at the seams 32.The front and back proximal edges 90, however, may not be aligned to oneanother. The back proximal edge 90 may be disposed longitudinally closerthan the front proximal edge 90 relative to the transverse center lineTX such that the proximal portion of the back side panel 82 extendstoward the crotch panel 56 of the main body 38 beyond the front proximaledge 90. The side edge of the proximal portion of the back side panel 82may not be joined to anywhere and free from attachment. Thus, theproximal portion of the back side panel 82 provides a buttock cover 95,as in FIG. 1B.

In the present invention, at least one of the inner sheet 92 and theouter sheet 94 may further comprise a plurality of deformations 202wherein the deformations are aligned in the longitudinal direction andrepeated in the transverse direction. Deformations 202 may be apertures,slits, engravings, embossings, projections, or any other permanentdeformation to the nonwoven material for making the inner sheet 92and/or the outer sheet 94, so long as they are aligned in thelongitudinal direction. For example, referring to FIG. 5A, deformations202 on the outer sheet 92 in the form of apertures are expressed. Eachlongitudinal deformation pattern may be spaced apart from each otherwith a transverse pitch of DF1, wherein VG1 is greater than DF1, orwherein VG1 is at least about 1.5 times, or at least about 2 times, ofDF1. Without being bound by theory, such deformation provided inrelationship with the discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 assiststhe nonwoven material for making the inner sheet 92 and/or the outersheet 94 to be folded within dimension VG1, the folding being continuousin the longitudinal direction. As such, the regularity of gathering isenhanced. The longitudinal deformation pattern may or may not beregistered with the longitudinal pattern of the discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234. In fact, it is the finding of the presentinvention that, even when the longitudinal deformation pattern is notregistered with the longitudinal pattern of the discrete patternedadhesive bonding 234, this still enhances the regularity of gathering.In that registration of the longitudinal deformation pattern and thelongitudinal pattern of the discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234 mayrequire precision of process, such registration may be omitted. Evenwhen the longitudinal deformation pattern is not registered with thelongitudinal pattern of the discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234, byproviding DF1 and VG1 in a relationship other than multiple number ofintegers, a majority of the longitudinal deformation patterns fit withinthe longitudinal patterns of the discrete patterned adhesive bonding 234and assists gather forming.

The deformation may be a continuous line extending in the longitudinaldirection, or an array of discrete deformations aligned in thelongitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other with alongitudinal pitch of DF2, wherein DF2 is not greater than DF1, as inFIG. 5A. By providing the deformations in an array of discretedeformations, the overall area weakened or stiffened by the deformationmay be decreased. By providing DF2 the same or smaller than DF1, thisfacilitates the folding of the inner and outer sheet material 92, 94 inthe longitudinal direction as described above.

The deformation may be an aperture on the outer sheet 92, wherein theindividual aperture may be in the shape of an oval, or polyhedron, whilehaving an aspect ratio of no more than about 3, or no more than about2.5. Referring to FIG. 5A, the individual aperture may have a transversedimension APT of at least about 0.4 mm, or from about 0.4 mm to about2.0 mm, and a longitudinal dimension APL, wherein APT is at least about10% greater than APL. Further, the individual apertures are spaced apartfrom each other with a longitudinal pitch DF2 of no more than about 5mm, and APL is not larger than 50% of DF2, or APL is from about 12% toabout 30% of DF2. Apertures of such size, shape, and spacing may bevisible to the naked eye on the garment-facing surface, and thus connotebreathability and high quality of the gather, as well as the entirelaminate, even when the gathers are in contracted state. Further, byproviding VG1 greater than DF1, the apertures are positioned on thefolding as described above, thus the visibility of the apertures arefurther enhanced when the gathers are in contracted state. FIG. 5B is aplan view of the elastic belt of the present invention in a stretchedstate, whereas FIG. 5C is the same elastic belt in a contracted state.In the elastic belt of FIGS. 5B-5C, the VG1 is about 1.5 times that ofDF1. As can be seen in FIG. 5C, by providing the VG1 and DF1relationship as such, at least one longitudinal row of apertures arecontinuously folded in the longitudinal manner to provide a longitudinalcontinuous gather, while the apertures are situated nearby the mountainof each gather. As such, breathability as well as breathabilityperception are enhanced. Further, by providing DF1 somewhat greater thanDF2 and the individual aperture having a spacing as described above, arepeating pattern 200 may take a longitudinal orientation of apertures.By providing the repeating pattern of apertures in longitudinalorientation in the non-elastic region 221, the non-elastic region 221appears coordinated with the Upper Gather Region 220 to enhance thelongitudinally continuing gathers of the Upper Gather Region 220.

Referring back to FIG. 1A, the article of the present invention isformed by closing the front belt 84 and the back belt 86 by side seams32. It is desired that the side seam 32 is strong enough to toleratenormal usage conditions, namely does not fail when stretched uponapplication, or after the article is loaded. On the other hand, it isalso desired that the side seam 32 is easy to open after use, namelypossible to tear by hand along the longitudinal dimension for removalfrom the wearer. Without being bound by theory, by providing the outersheet 94 with apertures having a longitudinal repeating unit which eachrepeating unit is not linearly aligned in the transverse direction, theentire laminate may be easily torn along the longitudinal dimensionwithout having the tear line deviate in the transverse directiontrailing the apertures.

The outer sheet 92 of the present invention may be a nonwoven having abasis weight of from about 10 gsm to about 55 gsm, or from about 10 gsmto about 35 gsm, and may have a fiber diameter of from about 0.8 dpf toabout 6 dpf. The fiber diameter is described in denier per filament(dpf) used in the industry, which is grams/9,000 meters of length offiber. The outer sheet 92 nonwoven may be made by processes such asspunbond, spunlace, carded or air-laid; and may comprise fibers and/orfilaments made of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylenephthalate (PET), polylactic acid/polylactide (PLA) or conjugate fibers(such as PE/PET, PE/PP, PE/PLA) as well as natural fibers such as cottonor regenerated cellulosic fibers such as viscose or lyocell. The outersheet 92 nonwoven may be a multilayer or composite structure combiningnonwovens made by different processes and fibers such as combiningspunbond and carded nonwovens. The outer sheet 92 nonwoven may be madeby biodegradable material, or derived from renewable resources.Exemplary material for the outer sheet 92 include: air-through cardednonwoven having a thickness of at least about 50 μm, or at least about80 μm, or at least about 200 μm. Such material may provide a soft loftyfeeling to the garment-facing side. Suitable for the outer sheet 92nonwoven of the present invention are air-through carded nonwovenmaterial made of co-centric bicomponent fiber, crimping fiber madethrough core eccentric bicomponent filament or side by side bicomponentfilament. Non-limiting examples of materials suitable for the outersheet 92 nonwoven of the present invention include: 12-45 gsmair-through carded nonwoven substrate comprising PE/PET bi-componentfibers, such as those available from Beijing Dayuan Nonwoven Fabric Co.Ltd. or Xiamen Yanjan New Material Co. Ltd., and 8-45 gsm spun meltnonwoven substrate comprising PP monofilament or PE/PP bi-componentfibers, such as those available from Fibertex or Fitesa.

The inner sheet 94 of the present invention may be a nonwoven having abasis weight of from about 5 gsm to about 45 gsm, or from about 5 gsm toabout 35 gsm. The inner sheet 94 nonwoven may have a fiber diameter offrom about 0.5 dpf to about 4 dpf. The inner sheet 94 nonwoven may bemade by processes such as spunbond, spunlace, carded or air-laid; andmay comprise fibers and/or filaments made of polypropylene (PP),polyethylene (PE), polyethylene phthalate (PET), polylacticacid/polylactide (PLA) or conjugate fibers (such as PE/PET, PE/PP,PE/PLA) as well as natural fibers such as cotton or regeneratedcellulosic fibers such as viscose or lyocell. The inner sheet 94nonwoven may also be a multilayer or composite structure combiningnonwovens made by different processes and fibers such as combiningspunbond and carded nonwovens. The inner sheet 94 nonwoven may be madeby biodegradable material, or derived from renewable resources.Non-limiting examples of materials suitable for the inner sheet 94nonwoven of the present invention include: 12-30 gsm air-through cardednonwoven substrate made of PE/PET bi-component staple fiber, such asthose available from Beijing Dayuan Nonwoven Fabric Co. Ltd. or XiamenYanjan New Material Co. Ltd., and 8-30 gsm spun melt nonwoven substratecomprising PP monofilament or PE/PP bi-component fibers, such as thoseavailable from Fibertex or Fitesa.

The basis weight of the outer sheet 92 and the inner sheet 94 may beadjusted such that the basis weight of the inner sheet 94 is not greaterthan the basis weight of the outer sheet 92. Thus, the outer sheet 92may be provided with a soft lofty tactile sense which connotes highquality, while the inner sheet 94 may be kept thinner and conforming tothe outer sheet 92, thus saving cost. Further, without being bound bytheory, by providing the basis weight relationship as such, it isbelieved that skin sweating is effectively transported to the outersheet 92 and outside the laminate, while preventing the transportedsweat back to the inner sheet 94. The hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity ofthe outer sheet 92 and the inner sheet 94 may be adjusted such that thehydrophilicity of the outer sheet 92 is higher than that of the innersheet 94. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that suchgradient of hydrophilicity is advantageous in transporting skin sweatfrom the inner sheet 94 to the outer sheet 92 and outside the laminate.The inner sheet 94 nonwoven may be inherently hydrophobic. The innersheet 94 nonwoven may be provided hydrophobicity by treating withhydrophobic melt additives into polymer resin in the fiber makingprocess, or by applying hydrophobic additives after the nonwoven isformed. The outer sheet 92 nonwoven may inherently be hydrophobic, andthus provided relatively more hydrophilic than the inner sheet 94 bytreating with hydrophilic melt additives into polymer resin in the fibermaking process, or by applying hydrophilic additive after the nonwovenis formed.

As described above, the outer sheet 92 may be provided with apertures.Apertures may be made by female-male hot pin process, hole punchingprocess, hydroentanglement process using water jets and a screen tocreate holes, and combinations thereof. The apertures may be made bycreating a plurality of weakened locations by heat, pressure, orultrasonic energy, followed by incremental stretching, causing saidnonwoven web to rupture at the weakened locations such as described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,628,097. Such rupturing method may be particularlyuseful for nonwovens using spunbonded fibers and meltblown fibers. Theapertures may be three-dimensional, non-homogenous, unaligned andforming a pattern as described in PCT Publication WO 2016/73712. Theinner sheet 94 may also be provided with apertures for breathability.Apertures for the inner sheet 94 may be made in the same or differentprocess, size, and density as the outer sheet 92. Providing aperturesmay alter the stiffness of the inner or outer sheet 92, 94. Thestiffness of the outer sheet 92 in the longitudinal direction and thetransverse direction may be adjusted to provide the desiredlongitudinally continuing gathers.

The garment-facing side of the crotch region of the present article maybe provided with visible deformations similar to those deformationsprovided for the outer sheet 92, as described above. By coordinating thevisible deformations in the crotch region and the front and/or backelastic belt 84, 86, particularly the non-elastic region 221 of thefront and/or back elastic belt, the integral undergarment likeappearance of the article may be enhanced.

Whole Article Force Measurement Test Method

Force is measured using an Electronic Tensile Tester with a computerinterface such as the MTS Criterion C42 running TestWorks 4 Software(available from MTS SYSTEMS (CHINA) CO., LTD) or equivalent instrument.A load cell is selected so that force results for the samples testedwill be between 10 and 90% of capacity of the load cell used. Theinstrument is calibrated according to the manufacturer's instructions.All testing is performed in a room maintained at 23±2° C. and 50±5%relative humidity.

The tensile tester is fitted with hanger-type sample holding fixtures300 as shown in FIG. 6 . Each fixture comprises a rigid linearrubber-coated horizontal bar section 302 to prevent sample slippageduring testing. The outer bar diameter (including the rubber coating) ofthe horizontal bar sections is 10.0 mm. The central axes of thehorizontal bar sections 302 are configured to remain parallel and in thesame vertical plane throughout the test procedure. The gaugecircumference is determined by the following equation:

Gauge Circumference=2×(H+D+πD/2)

where H is the vertical gap between the horizontal bar sections 302, andD is the outer diameter of the bar.

The instrument is set up to go through the following steps:

Crosshead Speed 254.0 mm/min Final Load Point 19.61N Hold Time 0 Numberof Cycles 1 Data Acquisition Rate 50 Hz

An article 20 sample is inserted onto the upper horizontal bar section302 so that the bar passes through the waist opening and one leg openingof the article. The crosshead is raised until the specimen hangs abovethe lower bar and does not touch lower bar 302. The load cell is taredand the crosshead is lowered to enable the lower bar 302 to be insertedthrough the waist opening and other leg opening without stretching thearticle. The article is adjusted so that the longitudinal centerline LXof the article is in a horizontal plane halfway between the upper andlower bars 302. The center of the side portion in contact with the bar302 is situated on the same vertical axis as the instrument load cell.The crosshead is raised slowly while the article is held in place byhand as necessary until the force is between 0.05 and 0.1N, while takingcare not to add any unnecessary force. The gauge circumference at thispoint is the Initial Gauge Circumference. The test is initiated and thecrosshead moves up at 254 mm/min until a force of 19.6N is attained,then the crosshead immediately returns to the Initial GaugeCircumference at the same speed. The maximum circumference at 19.6N andthe force at 70% of the maximum circumference during the loading segmentand unloading segment of the test are recorded.

The maximum circumference (mm) at 19.6N is defined as the Full StretchCircumference W1. The Full Stretch Circumference (mm)×0.7 is defined asthe 70% Stretch Circumference W2. The force (N) during the loadingsegment of the test at 70% Stretch Circumference is defined as theStretch Circumference Force. The force (N) during the unloading segmentof the test at 70% Stretch Circumference is defined as the FitCircumference Force. Five samples are analyzed and their average arecalculated and reported to the nearest 1 mm or 0.01N, respectively.

Directional Dispersion Value Test Method 1. Sample Preparation

An article 20 sample is mounted on a rigid plastic plate which has anappropriate size which enables mounting the elastic belt 40 of thesample in a state stretched by 65% to 90% of its Full StretchCircumference W1. For measurement of the article samples of Examples 1-2and A-C, a rigid plastic plate having a dimension of 250 mm in thetransverse direction and a thickness of 4 mm was used.

2. Image Acquisition

The sample mounted on the rigid plastic plate is placed on anon-reflective black background plate horizontally. A Canon camera(CanonEO2 6D Mark 2) with lens (EF 24-105 mm f/4L IS2 USM) or equivalentis placed directly vertically above the sample in a length of 1050 mm.Two bar lights (Smart Vision Lights LHF 300 or equivalent) are placed650 mm away from the sample in the transverse direction, 300 mm awayfrom the sample in the vertical direction, wherein the surface of thelight is faced in an angle of 45±6 degrees from the horizontaldirection, and the longer dimension of the bar light is placed inparallel with the longitudinal axis of the sample. The focal length ofthe camera is set to 64 mm. The image acquisition settings are; ISO:400, F: 5.0, exposure time: 1/160 seconds, and a resolution so that theacquired image has 11 pixel/mm.

Images are acquired for the front elastic belt and the back elasticbelt.

3. Image Analysis for Directional Dispersion Value

-   a) The above acquired images are imported into ImageJ software    (version 1.52h, National Institute of Health, USA) or equivalent,    and converted into 8 bit.-   b) The analyzing region image is cropped from the original images.    The analyzing region spans in the longitudinal direction from the    elastic member closest to the waist opening and measuring 20 mm    toward the proximal edge, while spans in the transverse direction of    200 mm with the center of the analyzing region matching the    longitudinal axis LX. The image obtained by this step for Example 1    was FIG. 7A. The cropped image of FIG. 7A included the Upper Gather    Region 220.-   c) The images obtained in step b) are filtered using the “Gaussian    Blur” filter in ImageJ with a Sigma (radius) of 8. The image    obtained by this step for Example 1 was FIG. 7B.-   d) An ImageJ built-in plugin “Directionality” (version V2.2.0) is    applied to the images obtained in step c). The analysis parameters    used are: Method: local gradient orientation, Nbins: 90, histogram    start: 0. The image obtained by this step for Example 1 was FIG. 7C.    At this step, the images are described by the parameter “Dispersion”    which is the standard deviation of the Gaussian fit for the    calculated gather orientation distribution. The “Dispersion” Value    of the front elastic belt 84 and the back elastic belt 86 are    averaged to obtain the Directional Dispersion Value of the article.    Five samples are analyzed and their average are calculated and    reported to the nearest 0.01 point.

EXAMPLES

Examples 1-2 and A-C are obtained as such, and subject to the testsdescribed below.

Example 1: Size 4 (L-size) belt-type pant article having theconfiguration, elastic profile, and other properties in FIG. 2 and Table1 below, hand made by expert operator with Lot Not. EXP-18-BN3311.

Example 2: Size 4 (L-size) belt-type pant article having theconfiguration, elastic profile, and other properties in FIG. 2 and Table1 below, and with an aperture pattern of FIG. 5B, made by experimentalmachinery with Lot Not. EXP-19-DZ7410.

Example A: Size 4 (L-size) uni-body type pant article sold by thetradename of “Merries”. having Lot No. 20190422 purchased in the Chinamarket.

Example B: Size 4 (L-size) uni-body type pant article sold by thetradename of “GooN Super Premium—Feather” having Lot No. 20181004purchased in the China market.

Example C: Size 4 (L-size) belt-type pant article sold by the tradenameof “Teddy Bear More than thinner” having Lot No. 20190424D purchased inthe China market.

TABLE 1 Dtex/elongation %/number of elastic members Front waist zone470Dtex/160%/4 with elastic pitch of 6 mm Front distal tummy470Dtex/160%/2 zone 470Dtex/230%/2 with tummy cut (*1) Front proximaltummy 940Dtex/230%/8 with tummy cut (*1) zone Front leg zone470Dtex/130%/2 with tummy cut (*1) Back waist zone 470Dtex/160%/4 withelastic pitch of 6 mm Back distal tummy 940Dtex/160%/4 with elasticpitch of 6 mm zone Back proximal tummy 470Dtex/230%/4 zone470Dtex/270%/4 with elastic pitch of 12 mm and tummy cut (*1) Back legzone 470Dtex/270%/2 with tummy cut (*1) Outer sheet material Air-throughcarded nonwoven made by Beijing Dayuan having basis weight of 20 gsmOuter sheet aperture 0.45-0.55 mm minor radius Outer sheet DF1 3.8 mmOuter sheet DF2 2 mm VG1 7 mm VG2 1 mm (*1) “Tummy cut” in Table 1refers to deactivation of elasticity at the transverse central area ofelastic strands resulting in 68% effective length of elasticity.

Image Analysis

The Directional Dispersion Values (DDV) were measured according to the“Directional Dispersion Value” measurements herein. Results are found inTable 2.

Show and Feel Test

30 panelists who were caregivers of babies using Size 4 (L size) pantdiapers and having a mixture of usage experience of major brands ofsimilar price range used in the test were recruited. There were aboutequal number of caregivers of boy and girl babies in the age group of25-36 years old. 15 finished product test samples were shown worn on amannequin, and further provided to the panelist to touch and feel withtheir hands. All of the test samples were provided without any artwork.For Examples A, B, and C which were purchased from the market, theartwork was removed by removing the printed backsheet, and thenreconstructing the sample replacing the backsheet with one that has noprinting to make a finished product. Care was taken not to deterioratethe gather quality when reconstructing the sample. Each respondent wasasked to fill in a questionnaire individually after observing andtouching the test sample one by one. In the questionnaire, there were 7values as found in Table 2, and each respondent was requested to ratethe test samples against those values using the 5 ratings, which werescored as such: “Poor”=0, “Fair”=25, “Good”=50, “Very Good”=75, and“Excellent”=100. The scores were averaged.

Among 15 test samples tested, information for Examples 2, A, B, and Care extracted below in Table 2. Not all of the respondents rated all ofthe products, thus “Base Size” indicates the number of respondents.

TABLE 2 Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- ple 1 ple 2 ple A ple B ple C DDV10.9 9.6  13.7 15.2   8.4 Base Size 20    29 28   29 Overall     68 ABC(*2) 35 46     47 A Distinc- 53 AC 23 41 A 32 tiveness High Quality 64AC 34 54 A 41 Craftsman- 65 AC 34 53 A 41 ship Breathability 69 AC 22 45A   49 A Soft 63 A   40 59 A   59 A Comfort   66 ABC 38 53 A   52 A (*2)The markings of Example numbers after the scores indicate “statisticallysignificantly better” against the marked Example at 90% confidencelevel. For example, “Overall” rating of Example 2 was statisticallysignificantly better than each of Examples A, B, and C.

According to the test results, Example 2 which meets the parametricrequirements of the present invention have statistically significantlyhigher overall acceptance than Examples A, B, and C, and is alsostatistically significantly better or superior in all of the othervalues. Example 1 or 2 of the present invention also has improvedstretchability for ease of application, improved fit for preventingsagging, improved comfort and softness, and improved breathability forskin health.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood asbeing strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead,unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean boththe recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding thatvalue. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean“about 40 mm.” Further, every numerical range given throughout thisspecification includes every narrower numerical range that falls withinsuch broader numerical range.

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or relatedpatent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation ofany document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect toany invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in anycombination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests ordiscloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning ordefinition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning ordefinition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, themeaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shallgovern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable article continuous in a longitudinaldirection and a transverse direction comprising a front elastic belt, aback elastic belt, a crotch region, a waist opening, and a pair of legopenings; the crotch region extending longitudinally between the frontelastic belt and the back elastic belt; wherein each of the front andback elastic belts comprises a proximal edge and a distal edge and sideedges, and wherein each of the front and back elastic belts is alaminate comprising an inner sheet, an outer sheet, and elastic membersrunning in the transverse direction, wherein the laminate furthercomprising an elastic adhesive bonding which continuously bonds theelastic members for at least about 10 mm in the direction of stretch ina region adjacent the side edges of the front and back elastic belts,and discrete patterned adhesive bondings applied to at least one of theinner sheet and the outer sheet with intervals in the transversedirection and the longitudinal direction to intermittently bond theinner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the discrete patterned adhesivebonding at least extends substantially along the transverse directionbetween the elastic adhesive bonding, and substantially along thelongitudinal direction between the distal edge and proximal edge of thefront and back elastic belts, wherein each elastic member is attached tothe inner sheet or the outer sheet by at least one discrete patternedadhesive bonding; wherein the laminate is bonded by heat at the sideedges to form side seams, the side seams existing no further than about20 mm from the side edges, and the remainder of the laminate is free ofheat bonds.
 2. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastic members arespaced apart with each other with a pitch of from about 3 mm to about 18mm in the longitudinal direction.
 3. The article of claim 1 wherein thediscrete patterned adhesive bondings have a transverse dimension VG2spaced apart from each other with a transverse pitch VG1, and alongitudinal spacing VG3, wherein the VG1 is from about 2 mm to about 15mm, and VG2 is from about 0.2 mm to about 7 mm, and the VG3 is nogreater than about 3 mm.
 4. The article of claim 3 wherein the VG3 is nogreater than about 2 mm.
 5. The article of claim 1 wherein at least 10%of the longitudinal dimension of the front and back elastic belts fromthe waist opening comprises elastic members in active elasticitydefining an Upper Gather Region, wherein the Upper Gather Region has aDirectional Dispersion Value of no more than about 11 points.
 6. Thearticle of claim 5 wherein at least 15% and not more than 70% of thelongitudinal dimension of the front and back elastic belts define theUpper Gather Region.
 7. A wearable article continuous in a longitudinaldirection and a transverse direction comprising a front elastic belt, aback elastic belt, a crotch region, a waist opening, and a pair of legopenings; the crotch region extending longitudinally between the frontelastic belt and the back elastic belt; wherein each of the front andback elastic belts comprises a proximal edge and a distal edge and sideedges, and wherein each of the front and back elastic belts is alaminate comprising an inner sheet, an outer sheet, and elastic membersrunning in the transverse direction, wherein the laminate furthercomprising an elastic adhesive bonding which continuously bonds theelastic members for at least about 10 mm in the direction of stretch ina region adjacent the side edges of the front and back elastic belts,and discrete patterned adhesive bondings applied to at least one of theinner sheet and the outer sheet with intervals in the transversedirection and the longitudinal direction to intermittently bond theinner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the discrete patterned adhesivebonding at least extends substantially along the transverse directionbetween the elastic adhesive bonding, and substantially along thelongitudinal direction between the distal edge and proximal edge of thefront and back elastic belts, wherein each elastic member is attached tothe inner sheet or the outer sheet by at least one discrete patternedadhesive bonding; wherein the elastic adhesive bonding and the discretepatterned adhesive bonding are provided by a single adhesive agent;wherein the laminate is bonded by heat at the side edges to form sideseams, the side seams existing no further than about 20 mm from the sideedges.
 8. The article of claim 7 wherein the elastic members are spacedapart with each other with a pitch of from about 3 mm to about 18 mm inthe longitudinal direction.
 9. The article of claim 7 wherein thediscrete patterned adhesive bondings have a transverse dimension VG2spaced apart from each other with a transverse pitch VG1, and alongitudinal spacing VG3, wherein the VG1 is from about 2 mm to about 15mm, and VG2 is from about 0.2 mm to about 7 mm, and the VG3 is nogreater than about 3 mm.
 10. The article of claim 9 wherein the VG3 isno greater than about 2 mm.
 11. The article of claim 7 wherein at least10% of the longitudinal dimension of the front and back elastic beltsfrom the waist opening comprises elastic members in active elasticitydefining an Upper Gather Region, wherein the Upper Gather Region has aDirectional Dispersion Value of no more than about 11 points.
 12. Thearticle of claim 11 wherein at least 15% and not more than 70% of thelongitudinal dimension of the front and back elastic belts define theUpper Gather Region.